Αὐρ(ήλιος) Ἱέρ]αξ
ἐπίτρ̣ο[πος] τ̣ῆς κατωτέρω Θηβ[αίδος] στρατηγῷ Ἑρμοπολείτου
[χαί]ρ̣ε̣ι̣ν̣
[δι’] ὧ̣ν̣ ἐδή̣[λ]ω̣σά σοι γραμμάτων ἀναδιδαχ̣θ̣ε̣ὶς̣ ὑ̣π̣’ ἐμ̣[ο]ῦ [ὁ κύριό]ς̣ μ̣ο̣υ διασημότατ[ος] κ̣α̣θολ̣ι̣κὸς [Σερα]π̣όδ̣ωρ̣[ο]ς
εἶναι τῶν ἀναγκαιοτάτων π̣λ̣ο̣ῖα τρι̣[άκοντ]α ἐκ πεντακοσίω̣[ν ἀ]ρ̣[ταβῶν ναυ-]
[πηγηθῆ]ναι [τῆ]ς μετακομειδῆς̣
ἕνεκεν τῶν ε̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ̣κ[̣ ̣ ̣ ̣ ]ων γενέσθαι συν̣[̣]
[διὸ φρόν-][τισον] ἅ̣μα τῷ [κ]ομίσασθαί μου τὰ γράμματα ἐ̣[ν] τ̣ῷ ὑπ[ὸ σὲ ν]ομῷ πλοῖα δέκα τ̣α̣[
[ἐκ π[εντακ]οσίων ἀρ̣τ̣αβῶν χωρήσεως κατ[ασκευάσ]αι, συναθροίσας̣ [
[να, καὶ ἐργάτας τοὺς][ἐν τῇ πό]λε̣ι συναγαγὼν καὶ εἰς τὴν κα<τα>σκευὴ̣[ν συνεργ]ῆσαι ποιή[σας
νε̣ρ[
ἡ ἀπὸ τῆς διαφό̣ρο̣υ ἐργασίας αχ[
[ὡς] προε̣τάχθης πάντ̣ω̣ς̣, κ̣[α]ὶ αὐτὸς οὐκ ἀγνοῶ̣ν̣ [ὡς] χρὴ̣ ἐπιμελητὰ[ς ἤ]τ̣οι ἐπείκτ[ας] κ̣α̣ὶ̣ [
[α̣ς ἐπιτηδει̣ο̣τάτο̣υ̣ς̣ καὶ̣ ε̣ὐπορωτάτους κιν[δύ]νῳ τῆς βουλῆς εἰ[ς] τοῦτο προχειρισθῆ-
[ναι, τὰ δ’ ἀνα]λ̣ώ̣μ[α]τα ὡ̣ς̣ τῷ ταμείῳ λυσιτελεῖ [ἐκ τ]ῶν δημοσίων γενέσθαι χρημάτων.
ὡς \δ’/ ἂν [κατασκε]υασθέντων τ̣ῶν πλ[οί]ων μηδεμ̣ί̣α̣ π̣ερὶ τ̣[οῦ ἑλκ]ύ̣σαι αὐτὰ καὶ γενέσθαι χρήσιμα
[ἐνέδρα ἐπ]α̣κολουθήσε̣ιεν, ἤδη καὶ τῆς ἐξαρ[τείας] αὐτῶν καὶ τῶν μελλόντων πλεύσ̣ε̣σ̣θαι [ἐν αὐτοῖς] ν̣α̣υ̣τῶν τε̣ καὶ̣ κυβερνητῶν γενέσθω πρόνοια. ὡρείσθη
δὲ προθ̣εσμία [τούτων] μῆνες δύο , διὸ πάσῃ εὐτονίᾳ τε καὶ [σ]π̣ο̣υ̣δ̣ῇ̣ χρησάμενος ἑκάστῳ τῶν κελευσθέν- [των νοῦ]ν ἐπάγαγε, ἢ πρὸς τῷ ὑποστῆναι ἀ̣ρ̣τ̣ί̣ω̣ς̣ καταδίκην εἰ καὶ ῥᾳθυμήσας ἁλοίης, [καὶ περὶ] αὐτῆς τῆς ψυχῆς κινδυνεύσεις. [ἐρρῶ]σ̣θ̣[αί σε εὔχομαι.] ἔ̣τ̣[ους] κ̣ // κ̣[αὶ ιβ //]
[τῶν κυρίων] ἡμῶν Διοκλητιανοῦ καὶ Μαξιμιανοῦ Σ̣ε̣β̣[αστῶν καὶ Κωνσταντίου καὶ Μαξιμι] - [ανοῦ τῶν ἐ]πιφανεστάτων Καισάρων, Μεχεὶρ α̣.
None extracted.
To Aurelius Hierax, appointed below to the general of Thebes, Hermopolites:
Greetings,
By means of which I have made known to you in writing, having been taught by my lord, the most distinguished and universal Serapodorus, that it is among the most necessary ships, thirty in number, to be provided from five hundred aratabas for the transfer.
For the sake of the aforementioned, let it be arranged that, along with my sending the letters under your authority, ten ships be constructed from five hundred aratabas of capacity, gathering together the materials concerning which I previously sent to you, and the thorny wood and Persians, and having gathered the workers in the city, let them assist in the construction.
As you have been appointed, and knowing that it is necessary for the overseers to be diligent, let the most suitable and capable be chosen for the council in this matter, and let the expenses be covered from the public funds as it is beneficial for the treasury.
As soon as the ships are constructed, let no one be concerned about their being towed and made useful.
There will be a follow-up regarding their readiness and the future sailing of sailors and captains. It has been determined that the deadline for these is two months, therefore, with all diligence and eagerness, let each of those commanded be brought to mind, or let them be prepared to face punishment if they are negligent, and concerning the very soul, let them be in danger. I wish you well.
In the year of our lords Diocletian and Maximian, the most illustrious Caesars, Mecheir.
[Αὐρ(ήλιος) Ἱέρ]αξ ἐπίτρ̣ο[πος] τ̣ῆς κατωτέρω Θηβ[αίδος] στρατηγῷ Ἑρμοπολείτου [χαί]ρ̣ε̣ι̣ν̣.
[δι’] ὧ̣ν̣ ἐδή̣[λ]ω̣σά σοι γραμμάτων ἀναδιδαχ̣θ̣ε̣ὶς̣ ὑ̣π̣’ ἐμ̣[ο]ῦ [ὁ κύριό]ς̣ μ̣ο̣υ διασημότατ[ος] κ̣α̣θολ̣ι̣κὸς [Σερα]π̣όδ̣ωρ̣[ο]ς εἶναι τῶν ἀναγκαιοτάτων π̣λ̣ο̣ῖα τρι̣[άκοντ]α ἐκ πεντακοσίω̣[ν ἀ]ρ̣[ταβῶν ναυπηγηθῆ]ναι [τῆ]ς μετακομειδῆς̣ ἕνεκεν τῶν ε[...]ων γενέσθαι συν̣[...].
[διὸ φρόντισον] ἅ̣μα τῷ [κ]ομίσασθαί μου τὰ γράμματα ἐ̣[ν] τ̣ῷ ὑπ[ὸ σὲ ν]ομῷ πλοῖα δέκα ἐκ π[εντακ]οσίων ἀρ̣τ̣αβῶν χωρήσεως κατ[ασκευάσ]αι, συναθροίσας̣ [...]νας π̣ερὶ ὧν πάλαι σοι ἐπεστάλη, καὶ ξύλ̣α̣ ἀ[κάνθιν]α καὶ περσόϊ[να, καὶ ἐργάτας τοὺς ἐν τῇ πό]λε̣ι συναγαγὼν καὶ εἰς τὴν κα<τα>σκευὴ̣[ν συνεργ]ῆσαι ποιή[σας ...].
[...] ὡς προε̣τάχθης πάντ̣ω̣ς̣, κ̣[α]ὶ αὐτὸς οὐκ ἀγνοῶ̣ν̣ [ὡς] χρὴ̣ ἐπιμελητὰ[ς ἤ]τ̣οι ἐπείκτ[ας] κ̣α̣ὶ̣ [...]ας ἐπιτηδει̣ο̣τάτο̣υ̣ς̣ καὶ̣ ε̣ὐπορωτάτους κιν[δύ]νῳ τῆς βουλῆς εἰ[ς] τοῦτο προχειρισθῆ[ναι, τὰ δ’ ἀνα]λ̣ώ̣μ[α]τα ὡ̣ς̣ τῷ ταμείῳ λυσιτελεῖ [ἐκ τ]ῶν δημοσίων γενέσθαι χρημάτων.
ὡς δ’ ἂν [κατασκε]υασθέντων τ̣ῶν πλ[οί]ων μηδεμ̣ί̣α̣ π̣ερὶ τ̣[οῦ ἑλκ]ύ̣σαι αὐτὰ καὶ γενέσθαι χρήσιμα [ἐνέδρα ἐπ]α̣κολουθήσε̣ιεν, ἤδη καὶ τῆς ἐξαρ[τείας] αὐτῶν καὶ τῶν μελλόντων πλεύσ̣ε̣σ̣θαι [ἐν αὐτοῖς] ν̣α̣υ̣τῶν τε̣ καὶ̣ κυβερνητῶν γενέσθω πρόνοια.
ὡρίσθη δὲ προθ̣εσμία [τούτων] μῆνες δύο, διὸ πάσῃ εὐτονίᾳ τε καὶ [σ]π̣ο̣υ̣δ̣ῇ̣ χρησάμενος ἑκάστῳ τῶν κελευσθέν[των νοῦ]ν ἐπάγαγε, ἢ πρὸς τῷ ὑποστῆναι ἀ̣ρ̣τ̣ί̣ω̣ς̣ καταδίκην εἰ καὶ ῥᾳθυμήσας ἁλοίης, [καὶ περὶ] αὐτῆς τῆς ψυχῆς κινδυνεύσεις.
[ἐρρῶ]σ̣θ̣[αί σε εὔχομαι.] ἔ̣τ̣[ους] κ̣ // κ̣[αὶ ιβ //] [τῶν κυρίων] ἡμῶν Διοκλητιανοῦ καὶ Μαξιμιανοῦ Σ̣ε̣β̣[αστῶν καὶ Κωνσταντίου καὶ Μαξιμι]ανοῦ τῶν ἐ]πιφανεστάτων Καισάρων, Μεχεὶρ α̣.
[Aurelius] Hierax, procurator of Lower Thebaid, to the strategos of Hermopolis, greetings.
As I have indicated to you by letters, my lord, the most distinguished catholicus Serapodorus, having been instructed by me, has declared that it is absolutely necessary to build thirty ships, each of five hundred artabae capacity, for the purpose of transporting the [...] goods.
Therefore, as soon as you receive my letter, take care to construct ten ships of five hundred artabae capacity in the district under your jurisdiction, gathering together [...] concerning which you were previously instructed, and also acacia wood and Persian wood, and assembling the workers in the city, and ensuring their cooperation in the construction.
[...] as you have been strictly commanded, and I myself am not unaware that overseers or supervisors must be appointed, the most suitable and capable men, at the risk of the council, and that the expenses should advantageously be covered from public funds.
Once the ships have been constructed, ensure that no obstacle arises concerning their launching and their usefulness, and already make provision for their equipment and for the sailors and pilots who will sail in them.
A deadline of two months has been set for these tasks; therefore, using all diligence and zeal, apply your mind to each of the commands given, or else you will rightly face condemnation if you are found negligent, and you will risk your very life.
[I pray for your good health.] Year 20[?] and 12[?] of our lords Diocletian and Maximian, Augusti, and Constantius and Maximian, most noble Caesars, month Mecheir.